The Unruly Collective, located at 200 Cooper St. in Bushwick is kind of like a WeWork for artists, but so much better. Founded by Hillary Mégroz and Charlie Pastore, Unruly is paving the way for individuals to create, collaborate, & cohabitate, while driving social change through innovative, immersive creativity. I visited their brownstone right off the Wilson Ave. L train to see for myself what the collective was offering.
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The space feels like an art gallery, studio, workshop and super cool residence all in one. I can’t think of anything comparable in New York. They also have an outdoor space that is currently being renovated.
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Like WeWork, Unruly offers a very reasonable monthly membership program which provides artists with full access to the Unruly brownstone. This includes studio space (private & shared), showroom (for displaying works, business development, & client networking), inclusion in Unruly gallery shows & events, business development, promotion on Unruly website and social networks, and of course, opportunities to collaborate with fellow creators. Another great benefit is that you can store any ongoing projects at the collective. Not having to lug a half-finished sculpture on the crowded L train has got to be an awesome perk and one not many shared work spaces offer.
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If you have an out of town collaborator, or need a break to really focus on your project, Unruly accepts 2-4 week residencies for individuals, which include lodging (private bedroom), solo gallery show/event, and all of the Creator Membership perks.
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Unruly is redefining the traditional art gallery. They display art throughout the brownstone, allowing guests to interact with art like never before. In addition to shows, we also work with artists on permanent installations at Unruly. Unruly also boasts good relationships with various collectors, great news for up and coming artists, especially as work is displayed alongside other artists. A collector may be in to scope out one artist, only to notice your work hanging beside it!
Unruly is the perfect place for video & photography shoots with lots of open & functional space, their light-filled brownstone is the perfect backdrop for all production needs. Additionally, they can accommodate visual and performing artists looking to produce and perform in a non-traditional theater setting.
Hillary, one of the founders, has a background in marketing and television, though she does also make the paper flowers you see around Unruly. I asked her as I was leaving, what inspired her to create such a space and she told me: “I believe if people spent 15 minutes a day creating or woke up to a beautiful piece of art, the world would be a different place.”
Come and check out Unruly for yourselves any time or stop by tonight or tomorrow tonight to catch live performances by The Things.